A Haitian Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”

And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

---

This Transfiguration Gospel isn’t always my favorite text to preach. I always wonder how it plays and I worry about what questions it raises among cynics and skeptics, with all of its dazzling clothes, shining faces, Old Testament ghosts, and talking clouds. I worry about that because I’ve asked some of those questions, myself many times. What I mean is, it’s weird and hard to believe, and I get that.

But the gist of what happened on that mountain top wasn’t just a magic show. Matthew’s Gospel is very dramatically putting Jesus into his rightful place among the great prophets of God – right up there with superstars like Moses and Elijah. And his disciples, just like the rest of us, are meant to make note of that, to take it to heart, and to wonder about what it might mean for the big picture of God’s plan for the world.

See when Jesus says, “until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead,” they – and we – are supposed to wonder about what awaits him as they make their way down the hill; as he so faithfully chooses to leave that mountain top and head, so obediently, toward Jerusalem and toward the cross and toward his own undoing on Calvary’s cross.

Because what was next for Jesus – and for us – is even more unbelievable than what happened on that mountain. What was going to happen was that Jesus would be crucified. Jesus was about to share a meal with his friends; he would be arrested; he would be denied and betrayed by the closest of his followers and then he would die the worst kind of death on top of it all – whipped, beaten, mocked, spit upon, crowned with thorns and nailed to a cross – before being raised from the dead.

Because Jesus was showing, I believe, that it is in all of this struggle and sacrifice that real transfiguration, true transformation and meaningful change happens. It’s on all of this that our faith is to rest. Not just on mysticism and myth. Not just on miracles and magic. But on real life, down and dirty relationships between God and people and between people and each other.

That’s what, I hope, our discipleship is all about – reminding each other and reminding the world that God isn’t just up in the clouds or hanging around in the mountaintop experiences of our lives. In Jesus, God has been and is down here with us, in the middle of our suffering and struggle. And God invites us to do that for and with others, in their struggle, just the same.

Because transfiguration, transformation, and change, aren’t just for Jesus. Those disciples were meant to be transfigured, too. And all of this came to life in a new, meaningful way for me this week in Fondwa, Haiti. I saw this passage in some really down-to-earth ways that checked my cynical, skepticism about it all, when I paid attention to what we experienced with our friends in Fondwa.

With this Gospel spinning around in my brain all week, this is how I heard it, anew, for a change:

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James and his brother John…

… and Ben and Lily, Dave and Linda, Pastor Mark and Haley, too … and he led them up a high mountain by themselves.

And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white.  … but Jesus became darker, too. Very literally black and brown, I mean.

He looked a little like Luckner, our guide and translator – who had so many answers and so much patience for us along the way.

And Jesus looked like Sister Claudette, a kind, and quiet and humble sort of servant; and he laughed like Stearline and he prayed like Jesula.

He was wise like Sine, too, and as strong as Ji-ber.

And suddenly, there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, speaking with Jesus … so that a lot of things made sense for them in a new way. With Jesus in the company of those ancient prophets and servants of God, suddenly all of his talk about ‘release for the captives, freedom for the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor’ were more meaningful than they had been before. And that stuff about being “salt of the earth” and “light for the nations” and about how the meek would inherit the earth, about those who mourn would be comforted, and how the last would be first and the first would be last held new meaning, too.

Peter said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three dwelling places, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Jamalyn said, “it is SO good for us be here. I think we should build 40 houses in three years, just for starters. One for the Dorelian family:

and for Victor’s wife, who doesn’t know exactly how old she is:

and for Eddie and for Eliane and for Elise, and for the Sylvera family, too.

Haitians will do most of the work, we’ll help where we can, and we’ll have support from places and people as far away as New Palestine, Indiana.”

While (s)he was still speaking (because those of you who know Jamalyn know she is very often “still speaking”) suddenly a great cloud overshadowed them … and they were overcome regularly by the beauty that surrounded them.

All those mountains and valleys; the hills and high places; and the stories they tell of the highs and lows – the struggles and celebrations – of the people who live and move and breathe in those mountains with such courage and grace and faith and hope and love.

…and a voice came [from heaven] saying, “This is my Son, the beloved, with him I am well-pleased. Listen to him.” When they heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome with fear. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up and do not be afraid.” … and they were reminded over and over and over again, by those they would meet – in homes:

…at building sites:

…on the playground they built at the school:

…and in worship, of course, that it was God doing this work; that God was answering the prayers of the people; that God was and is alive and well in their own lives, in Fondwa, and for the sake of the world.

When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus, himself, alone. And as they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them [to tell no one about what they had seen] until the Son of Man had been raised from the dead.

The disciples didn’t catch it because they couldn’t know what we know. But, in spite of what was to come for Jesus – his crucifixion, his death, and his burial – there might have been a hint of a smile on his lips and a wink in his eye, because he hoped for what we know is true: that the Son of Man has, indeed, been raised from the dead.

So they were invited to be transfigured … transformed … changed … themselves. And not to be afraid in the same ways they once were or that we are tempted to be afraid, so much of the time.

And they were allowed to leave the mountain with a different kind of command – to tell anyone with ears to hear about all the things they had seen and heard and shared and received – by God’s grace and with gratitude to their friends in Fondwa…

…the stuff of grace and generosity and gratitude, I mean, for blessings too numerous to count – and that must be shared – in order to change the world with the love of Jesus, as he intends.

Amen

A God-Shaped Heart

Matthew 5:21-37

"You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder'; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, "You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 

"You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. 

"It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be "Yes, Yes' or "No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

---

My family is sandwiched between our two boys’ birthdays, which fall in January and March. Having an 8-year-old and a soon-be-to 11-year-old is proving to be a bit of an adjustment, much like each year that has come before. I’m not on Facebook but my wife showed me one of the “on this date six years ago” posts that popped up on her phone from Christmas just before we moved to New Palestine, and boy did our kids look little.

With each passing year my wife and I find ourselves struggling to adapt to the challenge of parenting through new stages. We are constantly wondering what it means to be a good parent, and the answers we come up with today (when we come up with answers!) are different than they were six years ago, and different than they were almost eleven years ago. 

Obviously, parenting a newborn is difficult. It is emotionally and physically exhausting. But the existential parenting concerns parents of newborns face are pretty limited at that time. As long as the child is being fed, changed, kept warm, loved, and getting sleep, you’re excelling as a parent. Parents are incapable of making many more or tougher parenting decisions at that stage.

As the child grows and interacts with more and more of the world, the definition of successful parenting becomes less clear. A parent always wants to make sure the child’s basic needs are covered. But as I parent my growing children I know that my responsibilities go beyond simply making sure that their basic needs are being covered. It’s a movement from “How do I keep this baby alive” to “What kind of life can I provide this child?” and even still, “What is my role in this child’s life?” 

This movement from the difficult simplicity of newborn parenting to the difficult complexity of parenting through the lifespan is a helpful model to understand our spiritual life.

When our faith is new we can only handle the basics. At this stage our concern echoes the concern of the parents of a newborn, “How do I keep this thing alive?” We need clear cut definitions and distinctions. A faith like this pulls things to opposite poles or dualities. We need to know what is good and what is bad, who God is and who God isn’t, who is in and who is out, what we should do and what we shouldn’t do. It’s a well-documented fact that many people never move beyond this stage of faith. They are handed a script and are content to play their part, no questions asked. 

Others move to the next stage of faith where things become messy and complicated. Things are no longer black or white. Instead, there is nuance, give-and-take, and constant wrestling with matters of truth. This stage of faith is like the stage of parenting where every comment or instruction given to a child is met with the same response: “why?” There’s a voice in our heads that starts asking “why?” The voice tells us we need more than just the basics; we need more explanation, more nuance, more grace, a more pronounced role in the decision-making process. Whereas newborn faith is characterized by “either/or,” more mature faith is characterized by “yes/but” or “yes/and.”

Jesus uses his sermon on the mount to invite us to cultivate a more mature and messy faith -- a faith that moves beyond simple obedience to the law and into a more holistic and encompassing vision of the transformation of one’s heart and life.

We have to move beyond simple obedience to the law because the old religious law had become corrupted. This law made its followers feel insecure, morally weak, and unacceptable. When you’ve convinced someone they are unacceptable, they are more inclined to do what you want them to do because human beings will go to great lengths to feel accepted. What better way to cement your power over someone else than by establishing laws that people are incapable of obeying! With every mistake and misstep, the people saw themselves as further and further away from the ideal of God which they assumed the pious religious leaders were following. 

Jesus comes with a radical new message and invitation. In his sermon, Jesus presents snippets of the law when he says “You have heard it said…” But he’s not mentioning them just to remind the people they should be following the law; he has something to add; he has some nuance, some grace, some explaining to do, some questions, perhaps. So he says, “But I say to you…” 

Jesus invites us to understand that there is a divine law that is not a set of rules to follow but instead is a blueprint for a God-shaped heart energized by love. Jesus is an example of what it would look like to live our lives as God would live them if God were you or I. The law had suppressed the people for so long that they doubted they were fundamentally good people, and consequently they doubted whether God was fundamentally good. But here comes Jesus with the message that God is good, all people are inherently precious, and that it is possible to live with a God-shaped heart. 

Jesus lists a few examples in his sermon. A man or woman who lives with a God-shaped heart would have an intense desire to be of help. Such a person would have neither contempt nor lust for others. Such a person (a man, in this example) would not divorce his wife simply because he felt like it, which was a common practice at the time. And, such a person would only say how things are or are not; there would be no verbal manipulation.

I started this morning by addressing the question on many of our hearts, which is “How do I know if I’m a good parent?” Here we have a picture of what it looks like to be a good Christ-follower, or even a good person. All these questions  are one-in-the-same.

A good person seeks to follow the footsteps of Christ, by recognizing the inherent dignity and worth of every person and by cooperating with the ongoing work of God in the world that is expressed in acts of loving kindness and trust in God. We are not to become preoccupied with checking off a list of dos and don’ts of spiritual perfection. This would only tear us down or, conversely, over-inflate our ego. Instead, Jesus reframes the law to show that it is possible to live in the Kingdom of God here and now. The Holy Spirit will help us on this journey of discipleship. It will take a long, long, time to feel any sense of movement towards a God-shaped heart. But transformation is possible; and if that is what you seek, God will deliver. I can think of no better news to announce this morning.

Amen.